Truxtun's stay in the Black Sea will allow the ship to host an exercise planning conference with NATO allies March 15. The conference will focus on a multilateral naval exercise in the spirit of reassuring allies.

"We are certainly excited to participate in every joint exercise we are afforded," said Cmdr. Andrew Biehn, Truxtun's commanding officer. "We train for months at home and every opportunity we get to hone these skills with our allies is incredibly valuable."

The exercise will take place in the Black Sea and is designed to improve interoperability, increase readiness and develop professional and personal relationships between the United States and its allies.

Truxtun's presence in the Black Sea also demonstrates the United States' commitment to working closely with allies to enhance maritime security and stability, readiness, and naval capability. Interoperability at sea is a cornerstone of NATO's military strength and allows U.S. and allied forces the capability to provide the right presence in the right place at the right time.

Truxtun is currently on a scheduled deployment as a component of Carrier Strike Group 2, centered on the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77).

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts a full range of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation missions in concert with coalition, joint, interagency, and other parties in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/naveur/.